Dr. Brown, in response to Rabbi Shmuley Boteach's book "Kosher Jesus", encourages his readers to discover who this Jesus (Yeshua) really is. Is He a Rabbi? Is He a prophet? Is He a reprobate sinner? Or He the Son of G-d? Dr. Brown discusses such mysteries as the '...Invisible G-d Who Can Be Seen,' the suffering servant, and the 'Priestly Messiah' and much more! The reader will find out how within rabbinical tradition and the Hebrew Scriptures the death of the righteous atones for the nation and in the case of Yeshua (Jesus) the whole world! I highly recommend this book to both Jews and Gentiles to understand who Jesus is and for them to dig deeper into the Scriptures and into history to learn about Yeshua.

Brown was born in a Conservative Jewish home. In 1971 he discovered who Jesus really was. It shook Brown with such a force he got his doctorate in Semitic languages and became a specialist in answering Jewish objections to Jesus.

Brown has cultivated a friendship with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach and much of this book is in answer to the Rabbi's book, Kosher Jesus. For example, he shows that Boteach's image of Jesus, "...a potential Messiah who believed that the moment of liberation had come and who decided that he would inaugurate the Messianic era by force[,]" is false. (58)

He answers the critics who claim Paul introduced false beliefs about and teaching of Jesus, or that Paul wasn't even a Jew.

Brown reveals the two messiahs of ancient Jewish tradition. He shows how a suffering Messiah was written about in rabbinic literature as was the atoning power of the death of a righteous person. He also gives evidence for the Jewish expectation of a priestly Messiah and a great prophet. There is even some tradition indicating the arrival time of the Messiah, coinciding with Jesus' time on earth.

Brown shows that, without a doubt, Jesus is the promised Messiah. "The real kosher Jesus is the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world." (189)

This would be a good book for you to read if you have a Jewish friend who has not accepted that Jesus is the Messiah. You could give them this book but I think you should read it first. Brown has done a great job in showing that Jesus is the Messiah but I am not sure even a book like this will result in acceptance of the fact. Reading this book along with your Jewish friend would be a good way to stimulate discussion toward Jesus as Messiah and Savior.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Charisma House Book Group for the purpose of this review.